Our Programs
How Learning Should Be
A Better Way to Learn
Hands-On Approach
Teamwork
Lasting Friendships
At Leelanau, our mission is to help students maintain or rediscover their passion for learning and discovery – by respecting their individual strengths.
We can do all this because the Leelanau School is a different kind of school – a private, non-profit organization. While our colleagues in public school environments must contend with larger class sizes and high-stakes standardized testing that forces instructors to teach to the test, our unique position allows us to do things differently.
A Better Way To Learn For Students With ADHD
At the Leelanau School we flip labels on their heads. We embrace the gifts of our students with ADHD, and support learning through strategies that nurture independence, confidence, and success.
Academics
Project-Based, Experiential Learning at The Leelanau School
What Does This Mean?
Academics at The Leelanau School go beyond hands on. We engage all your senses in learning to include kinesthetic, visual, and verbal learning. Through our methods, students are immersed in the learning experience. When you go out to collect data from the Crystal River for Biology class, you will not only be asked to note what the instrumental readings are, but also what you observe through sight, sound and smell.
we will help you discover and develop your talents.
Exploratory Trips
At The Leelanau School it is our mission to discover and develop the potential of the whole individual.
Learning happens everywhere, not just in classrooms. It also happens in the residence halls, in clubs and on trips. We want all of our students to become lifelong learners and develop the ability to grow and meet whatever challenges them in their lives. Many of our students learn differently, which requires them to learn about themselves and develop strategies to be successful in academic settings. We help them develop the strategies and push themselves appropriately to excel.
Family Advisory Units
A long standing Leelanau tradition is the participation in Family Advisory Units, or FAUs.
Every student is assigned to an FAU that is overseen by two teaching faculty parents and residential faculty advisor. The families are comprised of students of mixed ages. FAUs are one important way we get to know you.
COUNCIL
The Leelanau School values the development of the whole person, not just a student’s academic skills.
Over the course of the school year, we participate in a tradition known as Council, which is a way to communicate, connect, and learn about ourselves, each other, and our place in the world.
Afternoon Activity and Athletic Program
Leelanau Athletic Field
Exploratory Leaders
Our Afternoon Activities and Athletics Program is designed to provide students at all levels, abilities, and interests engaging opportunities that foster the development of skills and interests.
We believe fun and diverse extracurricular play an integral part in a well-rounded education and development of a student – even if that means participating in things outside of their comfort zone.
Throughout the school year students participate in one activity per six week session. Activities are held after classes Monday through Thursday for an hour and fifteen minutes and are facilitated by the supportive adults of the Leelanau community.
Parents are constantly amazed to see their children’s self-confidence and sense of belonging soar in our safe and accepting environment.
The Leelanau School Greenhouse
Our Greenhouse was funded through generous support from donors, and provides a learning laboratory and true experiential learning for our students.
COMPOSTING
Reducing waste is incredibly important at the Leelanau School. We treasure the natural environment that surrounds our campus and want to pass on it’s stewardship to the next generation. We compost 100% of our kitchen waste and also have composting programs in the residence houses and academic buildings.
Health & Wellness
The Leelanau School feels that students need to develop healthy lifestyles for their lifetimes.
Our overall wellness program is designed around this premise by providing activities and guidance.
Health Services is staffed by a full time coordinator and 4 part time nurses. The nurses are on site every day from 7:30 am until 11:00 pm. We also have a nurse “on call” from 11 pm until 7:30 am. Our residence life faculty works closely with Health Services to ensure students’ health care needs are met. Nurses are available throughout the day to examine students, treat minor maladies, and are present for emergencies. Our medical staff possess active medical certifications and our faculty is certified in basic first aid as well as CPR.
Food & Nutrition
Healthy foods are a daily part of life at Leelanau School.
You won’t find fatty, fried foods in our cafeteria line.
You will find freshly prepared, nutritious and delicious offerings that are locally sourced and prepared on site. Each meal has an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, a gluten-free entree and we are attentive to those with food allergies and sensitivities.
STUDENT LIFE
At The Leelanau School, we do not define a classroom by four walls. The term “school” on our campus encompasses every aspect of a student’s daily life. Approximately 85% of a boarding school student’s life exists in the unstructured time outside of the class day.
We consider our campus as an active and living learning laboratory where students continually are learning about themselves, about the lives of those around them, learning student skills as pertaining to their own learning styles, as well as the course content during the class day.
The Leelanau School ignites a passion for learning in a boarding school where students thrive by engaging academically and by celebrating everyone’s unique learning styles in a culture of acceptance, leading to successful and meaningful lives in college and beyond.